Women’s sexuality, especially as it was connected to their gender and the roles they played in older societies, is a very complex subject that was examined by many artists and painters in the renaissance era. Art pieces often represented the ideas and values of society during the time in which they were composed, and the sculptures and painting by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Lucas Cranach were no different. In Bernini’s The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, and Apollo and Daphne, and Cranach’s Judith, the sexualities of the women depicted are emphasized in the subject matter being portrayed and the poses of the women themselves. While St. Teresa is shown in a religious ecstasy comparable to sexual pleasure, Daphne is being completely transformed in order …show more content…
Teresa, as a Carmelite nun, would have taken a vow of chastity in order to be accepted into the convent, and would have followed all the rules set for her by society in doing so. However, in Bernini’s sculpture, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, she is shown with an angel, experiencing what is implied to be sexual pleasure by her pose and her expression, while she is receiving the grace of God. Bernini may have done this in order to help the viewer better understand the spiritual ideas behind the sculpture and the experiences of St. Teresa herself. This would emphasize the importance of nuns giving themselves fully to God and the sanctity of their union with him, paralleling that between a husband and wife. Similarly, in Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne, Daphne was a virgin who rejected the advances of Apollo, yet in doing so, she was transformed into a tree. In depicting this situation Bernini may have been emphasizing the importance of a woman’s virtue and encouraging them to do anything to protect, even possibly changing into a tree to avoid unseemly …show more content…
She is the perfect picture of a feminine, ladylike woman, and this is juxtaposed with the violence implied by her sword and the severed head of Holofernes. Her aristocratic clothing and refined expression are tied to the possible use of her sexuality to seduce Holofernes so that she could save her people. Although the outcome of the situation was positive, the painting still contains a message of warning against the dangers of a woman in control of herself and her identity and shows the grisly consequences of a woman who is able to use her sexuality for her own benefit. This is especially reflected in the red of her dress in conjunction with the red of Holofernes’ blood and how her neck adornment is contrasted with his cut neck. Similarly, in The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, the angel is shown to be in the process of piercing St. Teresa with an arrow or pulling it out of her. This apparent act of violence is contrasted with her expression and the passion shown on her features and in her body language mostly covered by her robes. Her clothing covers her in the same way that Judith’s does, they are both covered almost fully which represents modesty. However, this is contrasted with the severed head of Holofernes in the case of Judith which reflects her confidence, and the apparent ecstasy on St. Teresa’s face that implies immodest
At the top of the artwork the upper part of the cross extends beyond the altarpiece. The edge of John the Evangelist’s red robe on the left of the altarpiece and the edge of Mary Magdalene’s pale blue skirt on the right are cut off when the panel ends, giving the viewer the feeling that, rather than looking in on the scene, the viewer is actually taking part in the scene. This, added to the empathy invoked through the delicate, heart-wrenching rendering of the figures in the artwork, let the observer directly interact with the painting and places him/her within the narrative.
The text is presented in a very matter of fact way that even though there are religious quotes throughout and thanks to God, Christina is rarely put on a pedestal. There are few moments outside of the opening of the story in which she is painted as an angelic being that is more than human. In fact, the presentation of her mother’s pregnancy being given a sign that she was carrying a religious child almost does not fit the narrative because few treated Christina worse than her mother, Beatrix. The image of a dove surrounded by light seeking shelter in Beatrix’s tunic reads, presently, as a bit ludicrous (2). However, when analyzing the document and accounting for the level of religious superstition in the twelfth century, whether this event occurred or not, similar situations are ascribed to most religious figures, most notably with Mary’s pregnancy with Jesus. Additionally, the detail with which the writer describes Christina’s visions and physical illnesses during her trials left room for critical analysis of what were likely undiagnosed medical conditions (31-33). Even still, the manuscript does not overtly paint her as more than a very religious woman. In fact, no one is free of the writer’s criticism of their behavior, not even Christina, whose dialogue is at times quite
The composition of this painting forces the eye to the woman, and specifically to her face. Although the white wedding dress is large and takes up most of the woman’s figure, the white contrasts with her face and dark hair, forcing the viewer to look more closely into the woman’s face. She smokes a cigarette and rests her chin on her hands. She does not appear to be a very young woman and her eyes are cast down and seem sad. In general, her face appears to show a sense of disillusionment with life and specifically with her own life. Although this is apparently her wedding day, she does not seem to be happy.
...tism. The dove which has been tactfully placed above the Christ’s head, symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The other characters are angels who believed to be witnessing the baptism. The nakedness of the Christ on the other hand symbolizes humility. The general landscape in this picture displays an extraordinary naturalism. The Francesca’s work also marked the era of excessive antiquarian style of sculpturing and tactful use of oil in painting (Prescott, 2005).
Her chief arguing points and evidence relate to the constriction of female sexuality in comparison to male sexuality; women’s economic and political roles; women’s access to power, agency, and land; the cultural roles of women in shaping their society; and, finally, contemporary ideology about women. For her, the change in privacy and public life in the Renaissance escalated the modern division of the sexes, thus firmly making the woman into a beautiful
During the seventeenth century in Europe, Artemisia Gentileschi, Italian Baroque woman artist painted Judith Decapitating Holofernes. At this time of period, there were a few professional women artists. Most often women were not allowed to adequately complete the traditional way of becoming trained painters. Luckily, Gentileschi’s father was an artist and was able to help her gain recognition as well as lead her to be trained. She was also influenced by the Italian artist Caravaggio and from her traumatic past.
In Judith Slaying Holofernes, Gentileschi portrays a multitude of different elements and ideas. The painting depicts a woman decapitating a man who is laying in a bed. The picture conveys themes attributed to intense violence due to the position of the women, helplessness is portrayed in Holofernes because of the blood and his body’s position, and hints of feminism are expressed due to the strong female character. The oil medium creates a saturated and vibrant picture. Judith is positioned in a very dominate way which gives her a violent aura.
The author believes that women should be upstanding citizens that dress, act, and behave in a proper manner that does not shame their husband, family, or name. This sexual relationship would shame her family name and rid Beatrice of any righteousness.
"O cunning enemy that, to catch a saint, with saints dost bait thy hook." A disturbing tale of suspense, dark comedy and corruption, Shakespeare's Measure for Measure explores sexuality, morality and the law, exposing the abuse of authority in high places amid the seething underworld of Vienna. This essay will explore Isabella’s moral dilemma.
This essay will reflect on how body is represented in the portraiture art within the Renaissance’s golden period detailing specifically Botticelli’s paintings and how this experience have broadened and enhanced my knowledge towards the future interest. This period arise when the medieval dark ages come to its end and artist and their patronage reinvented and represented the ideas of the classical mythology, particularly of the ancient Greek and Rome. It is a time when outstanding numbers of paintings, sculptures, alfresco were born and a human body was exposed as the centre of the universe. An epoch where the dominate themes were no longer pure religious devotions but it shift its focus primarily towards the anatomical beauty of the bodies, ideally represented. Furthermore, I will detail Botticelli’s paintings “The Birth of Venus” and briefly reflect on other two “Venus and Mars” and “Primavera” paintings. All three include the mythic figure of the Venus, who signifies both passionate love and intellectual love that still culturally lives in today’s world. In my view a real portrait signifies the components of the individuality and also can translates the ideal impression of the truth embodied within human body and soul.
The achievements of St Teresa of Avila and monks in monasteries remarkably contributed to the expansion of the Christian faith in the Middle Ages because they courageously communicated their beliefs and re-built communities’ religious framework to acknowledge and preach Christian values and traditions. St Teresa of Avila was known as the patroness of the religious and the sick and significantly contributed to the development of Christianity. Her visions of Jesus encouraged her to go out and pursue a life devoted to religion and God. In response, she travelled barefoot across the countryside of Spain on a mission to form Carmelite convents for young women, so that they too, could pursue lives of deep prayer and devotion to Christianity. “Whoever has not begun the practice of prayer I beg for the love of the Lord not to go without so great a good.”
The immediate background consists of natural mounds of dirt and a brick wall that enclose the Virgin, Child, and St. John, amplifying the protective effect that Mary’s figure has. The dirt mounds roll inward with a brick wall bordering them on the right, drawing the viewer’s attention towards the three figures. The background is painted in broad terms, with a simple, uniform depiction of tree leaves and smooth rock faces on the horizon. This contrasts with the fine-lined detail and texture of Mary’s hair, facial features, and veil, which further contribute to her elegance and highlight her
As demonstrated in various artistic triptychs of the High Renaissance, the colour blue has been reserved for the Virgin Mary’s iconic mantle, based on notions that blue signifies purity, heavenliness, and “calmness” (Natasha Eaton 146). Marina Warner, in her book, Alone of All Her Sex: the Myth and the Cult of the Virgin Mary, explicitly states that “blue is the color of the Virgin” (xx). Because the Virgin Mary’s Perpetual Virginity is an aspiration, Warner hypothesizes that such a social construct damns womankind to everlasting inferiority (12), thus making delicate female virginity highly coveted. Regarding Warner’s hypothesis, I argue that Gerty MacDowell’s virginal façade acts as proxy in… it implies that women are only revered or respected
The ability to create a picture of The Annunciation in one’s mind is a key factor in understanding the analysis of the work. Francisco de Zurbaran approaches the painting with a naturalistic style. The painting features a room in which a woman – like angel is seen at the left kneeling on the ground before the Virgin Mary. The figure of Mary is placed between a chair and a small wooden table draped with a green cloth. Mary disregards an open Bible on the table, as she appears solemn while staring at the floor. Floating above the two main figures in the upper left side of the painting are cherubs resting on a bed of clouds. They happily gaze down at Mary with eyes from Heaven.
Rossetti shows us the woman being painted as many different things. Although she is just a painting, the woman symbolizes how the artist views women in real life: as objects. Irony is used when the woman is painted as “a queen”(5). She is put on a pedestal in a position of power, yet she is only described as being “in [an] opal or ruby dress”(5), cementing her role as an ornament. The ruby symbolizes passion and perhaps promiscuity. Opal is a white stone that reflects many colors. White symbolizes purity; while the different colors reflected symbolize how her meaning can change, and how the artist controls her identity and can make her fit any persona he desires. The woman is also depicted as a “nameless girl”(6), indicating her identity is not important to the artist. It also shows that he does not personally know the women he’s painting, but only their looks, affirming that he bases their value off of their appearances. Lastly, the artist portrays a woman as “a saint [and] an angel”(7) and compares her to the “moon”(11), an allusion to Artemis, the goddess of virginity. In this painting, she is established as a pure virgin, which was a requirement of the time period Rossetti lived in. However, because it is one of the fantasies the artist creates, and the poem antagonizes him, this line also expresses the idea that a woman’s purity should not define her. He makes the innocent virgin and the licentious queen the only ways women can be viewed. Yet, they are the same to him. Lacking depth, their physical description is the only thing giving them any meaning. Rossetti describing the portraits conveys the idea that no matter the position in society; or what their actual personalities are like, women are just blank canvases for men to project their fantasies onto. Uninterested in a real person, the artist worships the idea of a